Courtesy of the 20th Century
by irisdietrich
Summary: A more empowered Brianna, non cannon, and a very different take to last week's episode. I just hate the way Brianna's character is done both in the show & books, I was hoping the show would do more with her but the rape scene just sealed it for me & I had to share how I think the kick ass daughter of Frank, Claire, and Jamie, would really be.
1. Chapter 1

Brianna POV:

Roger had just admitted he knew of my mother's death and failed to tell me. I had just given him everything, my hand, my body, and above all my trust and in return he showed me to be a starry eyed fool. I guess that's what happens when you travel in time you start believing things should be like a fairy tale where the knight fights for the princess and they all live happily ever after. Well this princess just realized her knight is more of knob and I am not tying myself for the rest of my life to a man who would deny me my own agency.

If he really believed his own ridiculous argument that we can't decide who lives and dies in the past that means my birth father was wrong to ever send me and my mother forward, I might as well be an abomination in his eyes if that was what he truly felt but I know differently.

I can see it all so damn clearly now, he wanted me, he wanted me for himself and on his terms... it didn't matter what I wanted for my life, I thought him following me through time meant he would do anything for me... go to any lengths to ensure my wellbeing but I was wrong, he came for selfish reasons and left me here in the dead of night in a dangerous time because the picture he had of me in his mind, the well behaved woman who fell in line with what her husband thought... it turned out to be nothing more than an illusion. The moment I challenged him, expressed a different opinion than his and fought for myself he showed who he truly was.

Well, to hell with him.

To hell with all men. I came here to save my parents and that's what I will do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Brianna POV:**

I have finished dressing myself and stealed myself another moment or two before heading back to my room, I take the dagger I have stashed in my boot and clutch it in my hand. My mother was absent for much of my childhood, she was working and fighting for a place in a man's world, only now can I appreciate she did that for me as much as for herself.

She might not have always been home to read me a bedtime story or help with my homework but one thing she always took time to show me was self-defense. I don't know if anything horrible had happened to her in the past... I think I was always too afraid of the answer to ask but every week no matter how busy she was she would find time to take me to Ju-Jutsu and other self defense workshops around Boston.

While most mothers saw their daughter's to church and Sunday school every week in their pretty dresses with bows in their hair, I was in old smelly gyms or community centers dogging punches from hairy screaming women.

I had hid the knife blade up in my sleeve so I could quickly grab the handle if I needed to and opened the door to the cold night air.

Carefully keeping vigilant of my surroundings I made my way back to the inn, the pub downstairs was still full and rowdy, I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as I made my way through the drunken men, last thing I needed was someone noticing my tussled hair or god forbid the smell of sex on me, while I was capable against a single opponent I doubt I'd be able to stop a mob from coming at me.

As I passed a table playing cards I couldn't help but notice the ring on the pinky of the man at the far end. It was my mother's I would know it anywhere... was I too late? Had her belongings already been picked after.

I felt myself wobble and nearly collapse before I grabbed on to the back of a chair to steady myself.

It was foolish but I had to know.

Slowly I approached the man and inquired as to the owner of the ring.

He looked me up and down and I wanted to be sick right on his lecherous face.

Thankfully he confirmed when he left my mother she was still alive. I was choosing for now to believe him, it was all I had.

"May I buy it off you?" I asked trying to keep any trembling out of my voice.

He looked to the table of men and then back at me, "let us discuss this more privately, wouldn't want others to know my ways."

My skin crawled and I wanted to be far from this man as quickly as possible, I remember all the lessons coming back to me about trusting my instincts and no matter what never going to a second location, but I had to have it. It was my one tangible link that my mother was near and I would find her before it was all too late.

We entered a nearby room and as if I had grown eyes in the back of my head I knew what he was about to do even before he made the steps.

quickly I sidestepped him tripping his first attempt to grab me. Of corse that just made him angrier.

I thought about screaming, that was also part of the training, to scream as loud as you could, but I couldn't imagine anyone out there coming to my rescue and I needed to keep my breath about me and not get winded too fast.

He launched himself at me again and I thrust the heel of my hand up against his nose, satisfied I heard the crunch of his bone.

"Ye bitch!" He screamed and managed to back hand me hard.

I stumbled a bit but used his assault to curve my back to him and retrieve my dagger from my sleeve, thinking he had wounded me more than he did he came upon me from behind, his arms circled my waist and lifted me off the ground, he threw me on a nearby table and tried to climb a top me, thats when I did it.

I didn't think, I didn't make a conscious decision to kill him... it was just instinct. I lashed out my hand that held the knife and slit his throat.

His eyes nearly bulged out not seeing the attack coming.

His blood was spurting all over me and I quickly pushed him off.

As he fell to the floor the life draining out of him I became more calm then I ever had been in my life.

Slowly I approached him as if this was all a movie and any second he was jump up and attack again.

I kneeled down next to him and with my hand brushed his hair away from his face. For a second his eyes seemed to soften as if I was about to offer him aid. but then I brought forward the knife again and leaned down to whisper the last words he would ever hear.

"This is courtesy of the 20th century you mother fucker," I took the knife and carved RAPIST onto his head, when I was done I leaned back, "never underestimate a woman in plaid."

I left my now dead attacker, my mother's ring upon my finger, and entered the main room again hunched over, blood coming from my nose I looked like just another victim but soon they would discover what had really happened in that room and when they did I needed to be far far away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Murtagh POV:**

It was a long disappointing journey back to my smithy, at least I had gotten to see Fergus again, the lad and certainly gown into fine man but I had wanted a bit of adventure this night and leaving that coach was bittersweet.

Trudging through the dirt roads towards my shop I am shaken out of my thoughts by a mighty wee thing, she nearly knocked me flat on my arse as she tried to make her way practically straight through me.

"Watch it lass!" I warned her but then as she looked up to see who she had run herself into I notice her damaged face, clearly she had just been knocked around and I looked back to see if anyone had been chasing her.

There was nought but clearly the lass was fleeing someone.

"Are ye alright lass?" I asked a bit more gently,

"Please release my arm I need to get out of here before they find him."

I hadn't even noticed I had her arm in my hand until she mentioned it, I looked down but as I released her something caught my eye.

I'd recognize my godson's ring anywhere,

just as quickly as I had released her I was snatching her again, this time I moved us off the road and behind a building.

"Where did you get this?!" I asked harshly thrusting her own knuckles in her face.

"Get off me, it belong to my mother if you must know and trust me you don't want to meet the same fate as the last man who tried to handle me thusly."

Her mother? No, it wasn't possible.

I took a step back but still had a hold on her, I examined her then more closely seeing beyond the blood and bruising, her firey hair and slanted blue eyes, suddenly it was hard to breathe... Ellen. She looked just like the only lass who I had ever given my heart to and suddenly I felt a man 30 years younger handing over the tusks I had worked into bracelets only to be rejected.

I forced the emotions bubbling in my throat down and asked the lass her name.

She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously but still gave me the answer I sought, "Brianna."

Fuck me, it was Jamie's daughter I had before me.

"How did you do it, did you come through the stones like yer mother?" I asked.

Her eyes widened, "what do you know of my mother?""

I released her fully now and removed my cap bending a bit in a bow, "Allow me to introduce myself, the name is Murtagh Fraser, yer Da is my godson."

The suspicion fled her eyes quickly and was replaced with relief and hope,

"Please you must help me," She said this time it was her taking a firm hold on my arm.

"Aye lass, just name it and I will lay down my life fer yers."

She seemed taken aback slightly by my vow but pressed on, "I'm in trouble," she admitted before taking a peek beyond the wall that hid us from the main road.

"Is it the bastard who did this to ye?" I asked as my hand gently cupped her face, for a moment she seemed to lean into my touch before remembering herself and taking a step back only to be met with the wall behind her.

"It was self defense, he would have hurt me... worse than a woman should ever be hurt, I fought back, I... I killed him, they'll hang me for it won't they?" She asked me, terrified of the answer.

"No, they'd have to get through me and that will never happen, come back to mine, we'll figure it all out in the morning but now we could both do with some rest, aye?"

She nodded and noticed I held my hand out to her, looking up again she placed her hand in mine of her own accord this time and together we navigated the dark streets back to my smithy.


	4. Chapter 4

Roger POV:

It's hard to fathom everything that happened last night, the best experience of my life quickly turned into one of the worst heartbreaks. I had her in my arms and finally got her to allow me in her heart, I had made her my wife and got to worship her body like I had been yearning to only to spend the rest of our wedding night alone nursing a bruised ego.

I should have kept my bloody mouth shut. When we work we work so well, fireworks and birds singing well but when we clash, it is brutal. I think we both suffer from the same downfall... our stubbornness. Perhaps its due to us both being only children, we are too used to getting our own way that bending for someone else even if it's someone you love seems inconceivable.

Still I made vows and I meant them I need to see her and figure a way to smooth this over.

Making my way over to the inn I notice something is wrong, there are men running about questioning customers, a lot of them are the fellows from the ship, not the most gentlemanly bunch... I wonder what has happened.

"Oye, you there!" Someone screams at me when I am quickly grabbed off the street and dragged into a back room, suddenly my pockets are being searched and I am too outnumbered to effectively fight back.

Suddenly my drawing of Brianna is thrust in my face.

"Where is the bitch?!" One demands, Brianna? they want Brianna... oh no what has happened to her.

"My wife, why what have you done to her!" I demand to know trying to free myself from their hold.

They just laugh at my struggle and pull me over to a body on the floor, I feel like I am about to be sick when they pull back a cloth that was covering the body... Stephen Bonnett, I breath a sigh of relief it wasn't Brianna under there.

"What happened to him?" I ask not really caring, the bastard probably had it coming,

"What happened! Yer little whore happened, slit his throat she did!" Are they talking about Brianna? No she wouldn't do something like that.

"Yer wrong, she wouldn't attack someone for no reason and she's certainly not a killer."

"Well perhaps the lass had a reason," one says as they lean down and remove some hair that was covering Bonnet's forehead.

I nearly collapse as I read the word- RAPIST.

Dear God no, why did I let her order me away last night, I should have stayed no matter her objections, saw her safely back to her room... this is my fault.

"If that animal touched her, he got what he deserved." I tell them not caring what they might do to me any longer.

"Well where ever that wee bitch is we'll find her, and this will look light nothing compared to how we'll leave her to be found."

Dear God Brianna please stay hidden until I can find you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Brianna POV:**

As I feared Bonnett's men were turning the town over looking for me. Murtagh assured me the last place anyone would consider looking for a young lass would be at a blacksmiths.

All night I kept replaying what I had done over and over again, I slit a man's throat... I took a life, and worst of all I didn't feel bad about it, what does that make me? A monster?

How could I be more upset about Roger than taking another person's life, there had to be something wrong with me.

"Alright lass, that's enough brooding." Murtagh said catching me in my own thoughts again.

"Sorry," I said trying to shake off my mood, "last night was just very intense."

"Aye, I can imagine... you know the first time I ever set eyes on yer mother she was being attacked by a filthy redcoat but the last word I would ever think to describe her would be victim or weak, she's not just a survivor either that woman is nothing short of a -"

"Stop, please I... that's not what's upsetting me." I told him unable to hear more about how wonderful my mother is, how strong, how perfect, it only made me feel worse about myself.

"Then what is it that has ye tied in knots?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and told him, told him I didn't just fight off Bonnett, I was ruthless, it wasn't just about defending myself... I wanted to punish him, humiliate him even in death for daring to try what he did with me and what I'm sure he had done to countless other women.

Murtagh was silent for a while, and I was sure he was wondering how I could ever be related to the wonderful Claire let alone call myself her daughter.

But then he starting speaking, he told me about his time in France with my parents, about what happened to Mary all at the organization of her own godfather, the duke of Sandringham, it was sickening.

He paused again and I thought the story over for a moment but then he told me what he did to the bastards who touched her and more what he did to Sandringham. How he dropped the son of a bitch's head at Mary's feet.

I was shocked.

"Ye worried what you did makes you savage? Perhaps it does but there are worse things to be in this world then that. I will not judge you for what you had to do as I hope you will not judge me."

"Never," I told him, thankful for his story... it made me feel less horrible about everything, I didnt know if that made us both monsters or both just defenders but either way I felt like I was no longer alone in the world I had found someone who truly understood me and would stand by me.


	6. Chapter 6

Lizzie was terribly worried for Brianna, she had not returned the night before, it had to have been that man she saw grab her, she should have done more really anything to help but she had been too scared.

Leaving the inn she was determined to search for her friend but before she could go very far she quickly bumped into the man she had seen being rough with Brianna. Swallowing down her fear she approached him hoping he wouldn't try anything in broad daylight... although that hadn't stopped him yesterday.

"You! where is she, what have you done with her?"

Rodger turned around confused as to who the woman accosting him was, "I'm sorry?"

"I saw you grabbing her yesterday, lady Brianna, I know you've done something with her and may god forgive me if you have."

"Brianna, you know Brianna?" He looked around and stepped closer to her,

"My name is Rodger, last night Brianna and I were handfast, perhaps I was to rough with her when we met yesterday but I was angry with her leaving me and going on such a perilous journey alone, I would never cause her harm on purpose, I swear when I left her last night she was fine."

Lizzie studied him, trying to decide if she should believe him.

"If you were handfast why leave her?"

Rodger sighed, "she discovered I knew her mother and father were in trouble and hid it from her we had a large row and she ordered me away."

Lizzie decided he looked shamed enough and decided for now to trust him,

"then what has happened to her?" she asks worriedly.

Rodger looks around again double checking no one is listening in on them,

"There is a man Bonnett, he... I think he attacked her. He is dead now and his men are searching for her, thinking she must be responsible, please can you help me look for her, we need to find her before they do."

Lizzie nodded and promised to all she could to help see Brianna safe.

 _ **Meanwhile**_

Murtagh had secured a promise from Brianna to stay put while he went for her parents, together they would be able to smuggle her out of town and back to Fraser Ridge where she would be safe. Unknowingly he passes Rodger and Lizzie in the road on his way to search for his Godson.

 **Murtagh POV:**

It had been interesting talking to Jamie's daughter last night, she had a quality... a fieriness that was being overshadowed by her intelligence and insecurities. She wasna like her mother, no Claire led with her strengths often barreling into situations she felt were hers to command. Brianna wasna so self assured nor confident as to see herself as anyone's savior instead her fight seemed to come from fear and if she didn't get a handle on her anxieties they would take her down, she needed to see who she was and accept it, be proud of it.

I almost regret having to hand her over to Jamie and Claire, they'll shower her with so much love and protection she won't have to confront her scarier sides for years to come if she stay with them. But it is not up to me, she'll have to figure it out for herself I just hope she has the will to and not bend to the instinct to scurry back to something safer and more comfortable, she'll never be all she is if she does that.

And I can see what an incredible person that could be.


End file.
